Volume 45, Issue 4 pp. 5325-5336
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Electrodeposited NiRh alloy as an efficient low-precious metal catalyst for alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction

Dinh Son Tran

Dinh Son Tran

School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea

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Hyanjoo Park

Hyanjoo Park

School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea

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Hoyoung Kim

Hoyoung Kim

School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea

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Soo-Kil Kim

Corresponding Author

Soo-Kil Kim

School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, South Korea

Correspondence

Soo-Kil Kim, School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, 84 Heukseokno, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 06974, South Korea.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 29 October 2020
Citations: 10

Funding information: Chung-Ang University, Grant/Award Number: Young Scientist Scholarship (CAYSS) in 2019; National Research Foundation of Korea, Grant/Award Number: 2018M1A2A2062000

Summary

Developing a non-precious or low Pt-group metal-containing (low-PGM) hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) catalyst is crucial to fabricate economic anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), an alternative to proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). In this study, low-PGM Ni100-xRhx electrocatalysts, seldomly studied as alkaline HOR catalysts, with various compositions are fabricated via electrodeposition. Substantial changes are observed in both the morphology and crystalline structure of the catalysts when Ni is alloyed with Rh, such as enlarged surface area and development of different textures. The HOR activities of Ni100-xRhx catalysts evaluated in 0.1 M KOH solution are dramatically enhanced because of the enlarged surface area, bifunctional roles of H-providing sites (Ni/Rh) and OH-providing sites (Ni[OH]2/Rh2O3), and their balanced composition on the surface. The durability of Ni89Rh11, the most appropriate catalyst, is investigated with the 3000 potential cycling, giving the average decay rate of approximately 0.30 μA cm−2/cycle. The origin of enhanced activity and degradation during durability test was explained in terms of the electronic structures and surface composition of the catalysts. The initial high HOR activity of about 1.5 mA/cm2 for Ni89Rh11 at 0.05 VRHE, though it requires a further improvement in the durability, suggests the practical feasibility of it as a low PGM alkaline HOR catalyst.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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